To The Victor Go The Spoils
by GM Grantham
Summary: Selected to represent Earth in the First Annual Intergalactic United Federation of Planets Space Race, Spock, Kirk and Uhura soon realize they have bigger problems than just winning the race. Not everyone wants to play fair.
1. One

Kirk frowned as he reviewed Admiral Archer's communique. The older man didn't seem any happier about the news than he himself was. Federation Day this year, the President had decided, would be celebrated with the First Annual Intergalactic United Federation of Planets Space Race. Participants would pilot a small craft along a predetermined course. The first craft to cross the finish line would win. The prize-honor and glory.

More surprising was the fact that he, Spock and Uhura were among Earth's twelve semi-finalists. A qualifying race would be held to narrow down the field to one team-the team that would compete in the Intergalactic race representing United Earth.

He looked up from the report at the sound of the door chime. "Come in," he ordered.

A moment later, the doors parted and both Spock and Uhura entered, each carrying a PADD that Kirk assumed contained the same communique as his. Each slid into one of the two chairs he offered.

"So," Kirk began. "We're going to need a ship."

Spock arched an eyebrow. "Indeed. Might I suggest a design similar to the craft my counterpart piloted?"

Uhura nodded her agreement. "Mr. Scott could help with the engine design," she suggested.

"We don't know the course much less the obstacles we'll run into," Jim murmured. "So we'll need to be prepared. The ship will need to be able to withstand just about anything. Spock, consult with Scotty on possible designs. Uhura, you and I are going to do a little research on the candidates. We need to know who we're up against-any strengths, weaknesses, piloting styles-all the information we can get."

# # #

Kirk took a sip of his coffee, his reading glasses perched on the tip of his nose as he studied the profiles of the other candidates. He chuckled softly as he came across one name in particular.

"Finnegan, you son of a bitch," he murmured. At Uhura's frown, he explained. "Gave me hell during Command training at the Academy. He was constantly trying to sabotage me so I'd quit. Still can't get over the fact that I got command of the fleet's pride ship over him."

Uhura grinned. "Somehow, that doesn't surprise me. What do you know about him?"

Kirk paused thoughtful. "He's arrogant and self-righteous, but he's a clever bastard. Every time I tried to get him back, he always somehow figured it out. The only problem is he relies on the element of surprise. I know him well enough that a lot of what he does isn't much of a surprise to me anymore. You recognize anyone?"

She nodded. "Marcella DiFalco. We had a few classes together, but she has a reputation for being one of the best pilots in the fleet. She could give Hikaru a run for his money. But she's so convinced that she's the absolute best that she never double checks her calculations."

Kirk raised an eyebrow. "Plenty of room for error there. Gary Mitchell. He was my best friend back at the Academy. He helped me with a few assignments. He never did forgive me for picking Spock over him for the XO spot here on Enterprise. He's a master at strategy, but is always looking over his shoulder waiting for someone to stab him in the back. He's so paranoid that he sometimes misses what's right in front of him."

"Sounds like you have a lot of personal history with some of these people," she observed.

A lopsided grin crossed his lips. "Yeah. But are you really surprised?"

She chuckled, shaking her head. "Ilya Nikolaievich."

"I think Chekov mentioned her once," he replied thoughtfully. "She was entering her final year when they gave me command of the Enterprise. I'll have to see what else he knows about her."

With a nod, Uhura moved to the next name on the list. "Matthew Decker."

"Another guy I pissed off by getting Enterprise," Kirk murmured. "He was the prime candidate until I came along. They weren't going to promote him at first because the Admiralty said he was subordinate and didn't follow orders. He took command of the Constitution last year I think. He's a cunning son of a bitch. His unconventional tactics make him a real challenge to pin down, but he tends to underestimate the power of conventional methods."

He studied the list again, grinning. "Benjamin Finney. I had a few classes with him at the Academy. According to his record, he was one of the youngest officers to serve as an instructor at the Academy. We were friends for awhile until I pointed out an error in his equation in class one day.

"Naturally, he didn't like a student correcting him so he failed me and I had to re-take the class with a different instructor. They took the grade off my record, though, when I presented them with evidence that he'd only failed me because he didn't like me. Honestly, I'm surprised he's on this list because they stripped him of his teaching position and last I heard, he was serving on some backwater deep space assignment."

Uhura raised an eyebrow. "So basically another arrogant 'I can't possibly be wrong' asshole, right?"

Kirk nodded. "Karen Archer." He froze. "The Admiral's daughter? Well, I'll be damned. I thought she'd resigned her commission to care for her dying husband."

Uhura shrugged. "I don't know much about her. Do you?"

Shaking his head, Kirk made a mental note to ask around. He smirked at yet another familiar name on the list. "Lee Kelso. Another friend from the Academy. I was planning to add him to the Helm rotation when he graduated, but Decker scooped him up before I could. Smart kid, if not a bit naïve."

"Janet Hunter," Uhura continued.

Kirk blushed. "We had a bit of a fling at the Academy," he murmured. "Nothing serious." Clearing his throat, he added, "She had her first command at 15. She's a bit of a hardass, but everyone likes her. Downside, she's kinda frigid and sometimes just doesn't get it. She wouldn't do well in a team scenario. And last but not least, David Bailey."

It was Uhura's turn to blush. "We were involved for a bit before Spock and I-" She swallowed roughly. "He graduated this last May and got assigned to the Carolina. He's a great pilot, but he's easily distracted."

Kirk smirked, causing her blush to deepen. "Is that an objective analysis, Lieutenant, or a personal one?"

She glared at him. "Objective, Captain," she ground out.

Kirk chuckled. "I don't recognize the rest of these. We'll have to dig a bit deeper into their personnel files. For now, let's go see what Spock and Scotty have come up with for the ship."

Both stood and exited the Mess, heading toward Engineering.


	2. Two

"Captain's log, Stardate 2262.3," Kirk began. "Thanks to the diligent efforts of Mr. Scott and his team, construction of the craft is completed and the ship's systems are now undergoing final testing. With a week until the qualifying race, it's going to be a close call. We'll barely have time for one more trial run before we'll be expected to arrive at the coordinates. I will be testing the ship's capabilities in a nearby asteroid field later tonight."

# # #

Chekov frowned. "Keptin, perhaps you should allow a more experienced pilot to do this. Ze design is still experimental and so much could go wrong."

Kirk shook his head. "All the more reason for me to go. I'm not willing to risk anyone else on this."

"I cannot allow you to risk your life," Spock insisted. "I will test the craft. Given that the majority of the systems are based on Vulcan design, it is the most logical course of action."

"I'm going," Kirk replied firmly. "If you want to join me, you're welcome to. But you're to follow my orders without question. Got it?"

Spock inclined his head. "Acceptable."

They boarded the craft several moments later and began the pre-launch checklist to ensure that all of the systems were operating nominally. So far so good. He glanced at Spock to find the half-Vulcan immersed in the readings on his console. Shaking his head, Jim sighed. It didn't take a touch telepath to know that Spock wasn't happy with him. He never took it too well when Jim insisted on placing himself in life-threatening situations, which he was certain this qualified as such.

"All systems reporting nominal, Captain," Spock acknowledged.

Kirk's features tightened, determination replacing the nervous anxiety. "Kirk to Enterprise. Ready for departure."

"Acknowledged, sir. You're go for launch."

"Taking her out," he murmured. "Nice and steady."

Spock entered a series of commands into his console. "Engaging thrusters."

The craft rocked slightly as Kirk guided it out of the bay using only thrusters. Moments later, the sides of the Shuttle Bay disappeared from view and they were in open space.

"Taking us to half impulse," Kirk offered.

Spock acknowledged. "Systems still nominal. Power flow is holding steady."

"Setting a course for the asteroid field, full impulse."

Kirk maneuvered the craft between two asteroids, focusing on the readouts from his console to avoid larger threats. Occasionally, he'd use the deflector beam to remove smaller debris from their path. The deeper they went into the asteroid field, the denser the groupings of rock, forcing Kirk to make quicker decisions on the best path.

"The computer is detecting a minor fluctuation in impulse power," Spock observed.

Kirk frowned. "Cause?"

"Unknown," Spock replied. "Perhaps we should return to the ship and run a diagnostic."

"No time," Kirk muttered. "We have to check out the rest of the modifications, then we can go from there."

Spock paused. "Captain, if we continue without running the diagnostic, there is a 36.435% chance that the impulse drive will cease to function."

"Not quite 50/50," Kirk countered dismissively. "We'll be fine. I'm going to try a basic set of evasion maneuvers to see if the ship can take the stress."

"Captain, I must strongly object to this course of action," Spock began.

Kirk scowled. "Objection noted, Commander. Remember our agreement."

Sighing, Spock continued to monitor the systems for any other malfunctions as Kirk executed a series of maneuvers that was part of basic training for all cadets. Though the hull showed only negligible signs of stress, the impulse drive was closer and closer to inevitably overheating.

"Captain-"

"Do you want me to throw your ass in the Brig, Commander?"

Spock closed his mouth, frustrated at his Commanding Officer's stubborn refusal to acknowledge and confront the issue. He could do nothing but watch as the indicators showed the impulse drive going red, the ship screeching to an inevitable halt. Kirk cursed a streak, slamming his hands into the console.

"Damn useless piece of shit," he grumbled.

Spock arched an eyebrow. "I believe the flaw lies not with the technology, but with the operator."

Kirk glared at him, his lower lip protruding in a familiar pout. "Kirk to _Enterprise_. Impulse drive is down. We're going to need an extraction team."

_"Aye, Captain. Does the vessel still have thrusters?"_

Kirk glanced at Spock, who checked the readouts and nodded. "Yeah. We'll try to get as close to the edge of the asteroid field as we can, but its pretty dense where we're at and maneuvering thrusters only is going to make it damn tricky."

_"Acknowledged, sir. Sit tight."_

# # #

Returning to Enterprise didn't make Kirk any more amenable to discussing what had happened in the asteroid field than he had been aboard the vessel. In fact, when Spock requested to speak to Kirk in private, Kirk deliberately ignored him, instead ordering Scotty and his team to perform a full analysis on all of the vessel's systems to find out what had gone wrong before sealing himself in his quarters.

Spock debated whether to interrupt his Captain's obvious brooding. As First Officer, it was his duty to ensure Kirk's competency for duty; but as his friend, Spock couldn't help but notice the sudden change in Jim's behavior since they'd received the communique about the Race. Deciding to follow his Human instincts, he visited Kirk in his quarters, pressing his thumb to the door chime.

No response.

He did so again.

Still no response.

Worried for his friend, he entered the manual override and the doors parted to reveal Kirk sitting in the semi-dark room clutching a glass of what Spock presumed to be alcohol. Kirk's gaze was focused on a holophoto. Spock entered and as he drew closer, he recognized the image of George Kirk staring back at him.

"Do you have any idea what it's like trying to outrun the legend of a dead man?" Kirk murmured, taking a swallow of the alcohol. "It's damn impossible because no matter how far ahead you think you are, he always manages to catch up."

Deciding he was willing to risk the backlash of emotions, Spock laid his hand on Kirk's shoulder and squeezed, a gesture he'd often seen Doctor McCoy perform when a patient was particularly ill at ease.

"Jim," he murmured. "You are not your father. Nor do you need to be. You have proven to this crew that you are an exceptional leader. While your father was a great man, you are as well-in your own way."

Kirk sighed and nodded. "I'm sorry about earlier," he murmured. "I know I was being damned stubborn and I could have gotten us killed. I should have listened to you."

Spock arched an eyebrow. "You must know by now, Jim, that in these moments it is merely your logic I question, not you."

"Yeah, Spock, I know," he grunted.

Pausing, Spock offered, "As one of your planet's greatest historical figures once said, 'Don't try to be a great man. Just be a man. Let history make it's own judgements.'"

Kirk grinned. "Zefram Cochrane."

The two were silent for a few moment before Spock spoke. "I shall leave and allow you to rest." He then turned and moved to leave.

"Spock?" Spock paused, his gaze locking with Kirk's. "Thanks."

A slight smile turned up the corners of his lips as he inclined his head. "Always, Jim." He departed, leaving Kirk to his brooding.


	3. Three

They didn't receive the coordinates for the qualifying race until the day before and, given their current location, they'd barely make it in time even at maximum warp. Kirk grimaced in irritation as he immediately commed the bridge to give Sulu the coordinates and the order to engage at maximum speed. He commed down to Engineering a few moments later to see if Scotty could employ his talents to coax the engines a little faster.

Since he wasn't needed on the bridge at the moment, he stayed behind the closed doors of his ready room studying the results from their little ship's last test run. Scotty's crew had worked around the clock after the last malfunction to make a second try possible. The data looked good so far and he was confident that they were going to leave the other teams in the dust. A cocky grin crossed his lips as he imagined the look on their faces when he, Spock and Uhura were announced as the winners

The sudden chirp of the door chime pulled him from his thoughts. "Come in."

Spock and Uhura stepped inside, the former with a report on their little vessels latest system diagnostics and the latter presumably presenting him with her finalized report on the other competitors. Glancing at the chronometer, he realized he'd missed lunch by about an hour. He slid off his reading glasses and slipped them into his pocket.

"Let's do this over lunch, shall we?" he offered. "Captain's Mess. I didn't realize it had gotten so late."

On the way to the Mess and even for the first half-hour of their meal, they discussed personal business, Jim asking after Spock's father and Uhura's mother and sister respectively while Spock asked about Jim's plans for the shore leave Starfleet had promised after the final race. Finally, they got down to the business of the qualifying race.

"All systems appear to be operating nominally and the vessel has shown no other signs of malfunction," Spock reported.

Kirk grinned. "Good. We can't be positive a bug won't still pop up during the race, but at least we've done the best we can to decrease the odds."

Uhura's report included her and Jim's personal insights into the candidates as well as information she'd been able to gather from the crew and the crew of other ships. It seemed that their top competitors were DiFalco, Decker, Mitchell and Hunter.

They spent the rest of lunch discussing strategies, maneuvers and back-up plans as well as the list of supplies they'd need to pack that included rations, medical necessities in case of an emergency, and the standard Engineering kit to repair minor ship issues.

"We already have an advantage," Kirk grinned. "I've got the two best officers in the fleet and we make one hell of a team."

# # #

As usual, he and Spock met in the Mess for chess after their respective shifts. Uhura was perched in a chair nearby, her gaze focused intensely on a PADD. Kirk looked up from his latest move and frowned. Catching his gaze, she sighed.

"I'm just going over the itinerary for tomorrow and researching the course a bit more," she murmured. "We don't want any unavoidable surprises tomorrow."

Kirk grasped the PADD, pulling it gently from her hands and setting it aside. "We have plenty of time for that tomorrow, Uhura. The whole point of this is to unwind. We've all been under a lot of stress the last week and we need to relax and get a good night's sleep. You're not going to be able to do that with theories and equations buzzing around in your head."

She released a heavy sigh and nodded. "You're right. I think I'm going to hit the gym."

Before Jim could protest, she was out the door. He turned to Spock, frowning. "Is she always like this?"

Spock arched an eyebrow. "She has a unique definition of relaxation, if that's what you are referring to."

"She's not mad at me, is she?" Kirk murmured. "I didn't mean to chase her off."

Spock advanced his rook and shook his head. "Unlikely. It is her nature to be unable to remain still before a significant event."

"Damned if I'll ever understand her."

"That, Captain, is the quandary of every male of every species."

# # #

Taking his First Officer's advice, he'd avoided his usual coffee after 1600 hours and had instead indulged in a cup or two of Chamomile tea as well as the relaxing soundscape of a rainforest storm. He'd even attempted meditation before bed based on the techniques Spock had shared with him over the last couple of years. Though he felt more relaxed than he had in weeks, his stomach still clenched in anticipation of tomorrow. He sighed. He was only Human after all.

His door chime sounded and he frowned, wondering who could be stopping by this late. "Come in."

The doors parted to reveal Carol in civilian clothes, a small bag slung over her shoulder. "I know you said not tonight, but I brought some things that might help you relax."

Kirk smiled invitingly, brushing his lips against hers. "You being here is relaxation enough," he murmured. "So what's in the bag?"

She smirked. "Mostly candles, but-"

She then pulled a small tube from the bag and he chuckled. "Massage oil? Just what were you thinking we were going to do tonight, Dr. Marcus?"

Suddenly, her expression became serious. "You've been putting me off for weeks, Jim. If I were anyone else, we'd have jumped in bed together the first night."

His lips tightened. "But you're not anyone else," he murmured, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand. "I just don't want to rush things, okay? You're the best thing that's ever happened to me and I don't want to screw this up like I've done with every other relationship I've been in."

She nodded. "I know, Jim, and I understand that. But there's never going to be a perfect moment. Why don't we just stop trying to plan for it and let it happen when and how it's going to happen?"

Kirk smiled. "I'm good with that," he whispered, brushing his lips against hers.

# # #

He entered the bridge with a slight spring in his step that morning, earning him a raised eyebrow from his First Officer and knowing smirks from the rest of the bridge crew. Yes, he was sure he was broadcasting loud and clear that the Captain had gotten some last night. Between the damn-near unshakable grin on his face and the return of his usually boisterous attitude, he imagined it was difficult for them not to notice. But a gentleman didn't kiss and tell and, when it came to Carol Marcus, he was nothing but.

"Mr. Sulu, status report?"

The young helm officer studied his console, replying, "We should be arriving at the coordinates in a couple of hours, sir."

Kirk nodded. "Good. Spock, Uhura, my ready room. We still have a lot of work ahead of us."

As he stepped off the bridge into the smaller room, Spock and Uhura followed with PADDs in their hands.


	4. Four

As the race terms required, he showed up in the Medbay two hours beforehand for a full physical. Upon his arrival, he noted Spock and Uhura were already finishing theirs. It took no time at all for McCoy to declare him fit for duty.

McCoy noted his shaking hands and pale face with a concerned frown. "Are you sure you're going to be all right?"

Kirk exhaled deeply and nodded. "Just nervous is all."

A smirk replaced the frown as he pressed a hypo into the side of Jim's neck. "This'll calm your nerves some. I'd keep lunch on the light side and no caffeine. It'll only wire you up more."

"Yes, sir," Kirk replied smartly, grinning.

He climbed down from the biobed and moved to exit the Medbay, chuckling when he heard McCoy muttering under his breath about him being an 'infant' and how McCoy was 'constantly molly-coddling him'.

# # #

Thankfully, the pre-flight procedures were enough to distract him from the larger picture long enough for the famous Kirk survival instinct to kick in. Determined as ever, he slid into the pilot's seat to finish the last of the procedures. According to the chronometer, the race was set to start in five minutes.

Spock offered, "Captain, perhaps it would be more prudent if I were to pilot the craft. This would give you more freedom to make Command decisions."

"As much as I appreciate your enthusiasm, Mr. Spock," he murmured. "I'm claiming Captain's prerogative on this one. Besides, it's in my blood and I was near the top of my class in helm. I could have pursued a third specialty if I'd wanted."

Arching an eyebrow at the expression, Spock conceded, "As you wish, Captain."

It was his competitive nature taking over, he knew. Mitchell was the only one of his classmates who had ever been able to outmaneuver him at the helm. That he was once again being pitted against the man pilot to pilot-he took as his personal challenge to knock the bastard down a peg or two. They had only just finished the pre-flight checks when the Federation President's voice filtered through the ship's comm system.

"Welcome, competitors and spectators, to the qualifying race for the First Annual Intergalactic Federation Space Race," boomed Wescott's voice.

Kirk grinned as he pondered the modifications that had been made to the voice integration system the man was using as, if Kirk didn't miss his guess, the man was scarcely 12 years his senior, making him the youngest elected Federation President to date.

"Per orders given to each team, the first team to cross the finish line will be selected to represent all of Earth in the official race to be held one month from today," Wescott continued. "Orders also state that any ship no longer able to function under its own power will be immediately disqualified and therefore ineligible to participate in the official race. Each team consists of three candidates.

"Those teams are as follows: aboard the Selek-" A slight grin turned up the corners of Kirk's lips. "are Captain James Tiberius Kirk, First Officer Commander Spock and Chief Communications Officer Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, all three officers aboard theUSS Enterprise. Aboard the Iliad are Captain Matthew Decker and Lieutenant Lee Kelso, both of the USS Constitution and Lieutenant Benjamin Finney of Deep Space E-5. Aboard the Marcus-" Kirk stiffened and his lips tightened. That egotistical sonuva- "are Captain Gary Mitchell and Lieutenant Commander Ilya Nikolaevich of the USS Valiant II andLieutenant David Bailey of the USS Carolina. Aboard the Aeferin II, are Captain Janet Hunter, Lieutenant Karen Archer, and Lieutenant Marcella DiFalco of the USS Excelsior. And last but not least, aboard the Satyr are Lieutenant Commander Marcus DeSalle, Lieutenant John Farrell, and Lieutenant Thomas Stiles of the USS Yorktown."

At that moment, another voice came through the comm., one Kirk recognized as Admiral Archer's. "It's my honor to declare the qualifying race for the First Annual Intergalactic Federation Space Race open. Competitors may now lay in their courses for the finish line coordinates. The race begins when the final signal is given."

Uhura closed the comm channel and both her and Spock turned to Kirk, awaiting his command. "How's our course looking, Mr. Spock?"

Spock studied his console for a moment before replying, "I am detecting no debris or obstacles currently in our path, Captain."

Kirk grinned. "Good. Laying in a course for-"

The sudden beep of the communications console interrupted him. "Incoming message from the Aeferin II, Captain," Uhura offered.

His grin became a smirk. "Patch her through, Lieutenant." Uhura entered a series of commands into her console and nodded. "I'm a bit busy, Janet. Not the best time for a social call."

A feminine chuckle resounded on the other end. "Just had to make sure it was you. I couldn't believe it when I saw your name on the roster. Last I heard, you were being brought up on charges of violating the Academy's Ethical Code of Conduct."

Spock arched an eyebrow at the comment.

"How many James T. Kirks do you know?" he teased.

Another chuckle. "As if there could ever be more than one of you. Your ego was always enough to fill a whole starship."

"You're not exactly Captain Modesty yourself," he jibed.

The humor faded slightly from her voice. "It's not a lack of modesty, Kirk, it's superiority. I was captaining a ship while you were still your stepfather's pet."

Kirk stiffened at the mention of Frank. "Low blow, Hunter, even for you," he growled, signaling to Uhura to cut the communication. Shaking his head, he muttered, "Cold-hearted bitch." He released a heavy sigh. "Course laid in. Waiting for the signal."

A moment later, there was an explosion of green sparks to starboard. Recognizing that as the signal, Kirk entered the final command that would send the vessel rocketing forward.

"And the Selek takes an early lead," Archer announced.


End file.
